Myrtle Beach Pelicans Defeat Potomac Nationals 8-3 - Advanced A, Carolina League

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com – WOODBRIDGE, VA - Four runs early and four runs late was more than enough for the Pelicans to dump the Potomac Nationals, 8-3, in game two of a three-game series at Pfitzner Stadium on Thursday night.
 
The Pelicans offense got after P-Nats' starter Ross Detwiler immediately in the first inning.  With one out, Willie Cabrera sent a 1-0 offering from Detwiler over the wall in right field.  The opposite field home run gave the birds a 1-0 lead.  Ernesto Mejia started the rally anew with a ball that nearly eclipsed the wall in right-center field, but stayed in play for a double.  Mejia scored as Brandon Hicks followed him to the plate and recorded an RBI-single back up the middle to give Myrtle Beach an early 2-0 advantage.
 
Myrtle Beach sustained the attack with another pair of runs in the second inning.  Again the attack started with one out as Jon Mark Owings tripled off the very top of the wall in center field.  He was out at the plate a batter later on a Gorkys Hernandez fielder's choice, but Cabrera followed with a gorund-rule double to the left field corner and Eric Campbell drove in both runners with a double down the right field line for a 4-0 lead.  Campbell has now collected 34 RBIs in just 33 games with Myrtle Beach.

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The P-Nats used a swinging-bunt single and a two-base throwing error to get on the board against Scott Diamond in the third inning.  Dan Lyons reached on the single and advanced to third on the throwing error on Mejia prior to being doubled in to cut the lead to 4-1 by Trevor Lawhorn.
 
The Pelicans' lead was cut to two runs in the fifth inning as Brian Finegan contributed a one-out single and stole second base to get into scoring position.  Lyons then plated him with his second single of the ballgame, and after five innings, the Pelicans led, 4-2.
 
Potomac made it a one run game and chased Diamond in the sixth inning.  With one away, back-to-back singled forced Rocket Wheeler to go to Tyler Wilson in the bullpen.  Wilson walked Aaron Seuss to load the bases and a batter later Brian Finegan rolled an infield single to score Dee Brown and close it to a 4-3 ballgame.
 
Detwiler (5-5) settled in to retire 11 straight battters following his troubles in the first and second allowing the P-Nats to claw back into the ballgame.  He departed after six innings, having allowed four runs on eight hits.  He was saddled with his fifth loss of the year
 
Wilson rebounded after allowing the inherited runner to score in the sixth to turn in 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, including striking out five and retiring the Potomac side in order in the eighth inning.  He recorded his first save for his strong effort.
 
The Pelicans put the game away in the ninth off of closer Martin Beno.  Jones greeted the Potomac stopper with his 13th home run of the year to left-center field to make it 5-3.  Three more runs scored due to to two walks, two hit batsmen and an error to cap the scoring at 8-3.
 
Diamond (7-1) continued his string of collecting a decision in every outing this season and earned his fourth consecutive and seventh win of the season.
 
The three-game series will conclude with a 6:35 PM first pitch on Friday night.  RHP Kyle Cofield (6-5, 3.08) will make the start for Myrtle Beach against RHP Jeff Mandel (2-1, 3.42) for the P-Nats.
 

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